School switch offered my child a kind of sabbatical

Jay Mathews's column about sabbaticals for young students ["Sabbatical offers room to regroup," Metro, May 10] brought back painful memories of my third-grade daughter's struggles with homework at a Montgomery County public school.

Unlike Laura Brodie's daughter, my child was largely compliant about her homework, but she was miserable. She often wept with anger and told us she hated school. In frustration we moved her in midyear to the Washington Waldorf School, where there is no homework until fourth grade (and even then it is minimal). This is in keeping with the school's philosophy of educating the whole student, not just the intellectual part. A year later my daughter enjoys school and loves learning.

Alfie Kohn's summary of the research in "The Homework Myth" shows that homework not only doesn't help elementary school kids learn, it harms them. Why are we accepting the homework overload when our children need time to play outside, help with chores or just be kids?

Bonnie Auslander, Bethesda